Hi Everyone,

I'm want to start getting into voiceover and I have no idea where to start. What classes should I take? How do I get a demo? What books should I read? I mean I'm clueless! Thanks for your help!!!

Check out Everything Acting Podcast, we've interviewed some wonderful voiceover talent. Any suggestions out there?

Check out my resources page at http://www.voiceoverthespian.com/resources.html for a list of great books you can start with.

Harlan Hogan has a nice list of voiceover coaches on his site at http://www.harlanhogan.com/coachList.php#East which you may find of interest as well.

Good luck!

Yeah, definitely check out Harlan Hogan's books and James Alburger. Joan Baker's "Secrets of Voice-Over Success" is available through our website at everythingactingpodcast.com. What else?

One tip. DO NOT make a reel until you have had a lot of practice. Number one mistake newbies make is putting a reel together (before they're ready), sending it to everyone in the industry and getting written off as an amateur. WAIT until you're ready.

How do you know you're ready to put a reel together?

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How do you know you're ready to put a reel together?

Wow. That is the tough question, isn't it? You need someone, IN THE INDUSTRY, to guide you. AND, go to voicebank.net and listen to the reels of the big dogs and ask yourself honestly...do you sound like that? Have you been trained as an ACTOR? Take a class from someone who is IN THE INDUSTRY. An agent, a CD....not someone who chose to teach over acting...and ask them.

You do want to take classes first before you spend the money on a voice over reel.
I took a couple of voice over classes taught by a pretty big voice over actor in my area. Someone in my class wanted to get one right away.

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Originally posted by transfergirl:
How do you know you're ready to put a reel together?

According to Bob Bergen (the current voice of Porky Pig among others and a noted voiceover coach), you will be ready to put a reel together when you are no longer asking yourself "am I ready"? You'll know.

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Originally posted by VO Thespian:

quote:

Originally posted by transfergirl:
How do you know you're ready to put a reel together?

According to Bob Bergen (the current voice of Porky Pig among others and a noted voiceover coach), you will be ready to put a reel together when you are no longer asking yourself "am I ready"? You'll know.

I kinda love that answer. Thank you for that.

You know I am a huge do it yourselfer. Not to give out but to learn. Make your own vo recordings for practice. Compare them to voicebank and what not. Then you can learn and grow on your own until you are ready to put out the big bucks.

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Originally posted by Roz:
You know I am a huge do it yourselfer. Not to give out but to learn. Make your own vo recordings for practice. Compare them to voicebank and what not. Then you can learn and grow on your own until you are ready to put out the big bucks.

This is real wisdom. Do what Roz says. She won't steer you wrong.

Ok, here's another possible debate: For those of us new to VO training, would you working VO actors recommend classes or coaching? What's your experience in class- how much personal instruction time did you get in whose class?

A million thanks for the resources VOT! My DD has her first VO audition today, I only wish I had had this info earlier.

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For those of us new to VO training, would you working VO actors recommend classes or coaching?

Yes. To both. Mostly, I just recommend getting on the mic. Just work. You can get an inexpensive setup at home for practice. A snowball Blu USB mic and "audition", a free program available on the web is a good place to start.

Hey,

The free program is called Audacity

Audition is an excellent piece of software, but it's not free!